Longtime Jackson HC Steve Johnson earns WIBCA Hall of Fame nod

MILL CREEK — Jackson High School boys basketball has been a fixture atop the Wesco 4A standings for the better part of the millennium. Although the faces on the court have changed countless times, one has stayed on the sideline through all the triumphs and defeats.

Steve Johnson assumed the role of building a winning culture at Jackson when he took the head coaching gig in 2002. Johnson’s dedication to the job paid off to the tune of nine conference championships and 11 trips to state in 22 seasons, bringing his career win total to over 400 as he continues to coach the Timberwolves today.

Those accomplishments recently earned Johnson a spot in the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) Coaches Hall of Fame — a distinction only carried by 157 state head coaches since 1975. The most recent Wesco coaches to enter the hall of fame were Mountlake Terrace’s Nalin Sood and Shorewood’s Marv Morris, both in 2018.

But after all the success, Johnson keeps coming back for the opportunity to make an impact in Mill Creek.

“I’ve lived here and my kids went here and my son played for me. So I’ve been pretty entrenched, personally and professionally, in the community for a long time,” said Johnson. “It’s mostly just the kids and the relationships that have sort of kept me, hopefully, still a little bit young at heart.”

Former Jackson guard Jason Todd played for Johnson from 2010 to 2014. But Todd had been connected to Johnson for nearly a decade before reaching Jackson by playing in the Wolfpack feeder program, getting a chance to know his future coach early on. Todd and the Timberwolves went on to win 83 games in those four seasons and made state every season, with Todd winning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2013 and 2014.

Todd recalled a moment after a close win in a California tournament game where he and Johnson had a moment to reflect on their impact.

“I remember speaking with him so clearly about how grateful we were for each other and how far the program has come because Jackson wasn’t traveling to California to play in these premier non-conference tournaments,” said Todd. “A lot of people set the paving stones for us to get to that point, and coach was there through all those steps.”

Dan Kingma starred alongside Todd at Jackson from 2010 to 2014 and went on to play three basketball seasons at the University of Washington. But like Todd, Kingma knew very well who Johnson was before taking the floor for him.

“He was kind of a legend around town. We would all go to Jackson games, sit up in the bleachers, and everyone knew who coach Johnson was,” said Kingma. “When he would come to the Wolfpack games, you would want to play a little bit better, thinking you were going to somehow affect your chances of playing varsity five years later.”

When Kingma reached the Jackson varsity program, he found out why Johnson had put together so many successful teams. Despite players like Kingma and Todd excelling in their roles and receiving Divison I scholarship offers, Johnson had each player come to tryouts before every season.

For a 2013-14 squad that consisted almost entirely of seniors who had played most of their lives together, no one questioned Johnson’s methods.

“We started over (each year), as far as we had to earn it. We had to prove that we were focused and taking it seriously, and there was no, ‘Oh we’re Jackson, we did this last year,’” said Kingma. “For as close as we all were as players growing up… Johnson was always a part of that. He was kind of the glue that kept us all together.”

That 2013-14 team ended up going 26-1, with their sole loss being in the championship game. It marked the closest Johnson’s teams have gotten to bringing a state title to Mill Creek.

Off the court, Johnson was a guiding force for Kingma and other students at Jackson High School as a history teacher. Kingma described Johnson as “genuine” and someone who wanted the best for his students and players.

Current Jackson junior guard Seamus Williams believes Johnson’s genuine nature and his trust in his players define his coaching style.

“He cares about how good we get, how hard we try… if the coaching cares as much as much as we care, then that just makes the team all-around better,” said Williams.

That care is part of why Todd described Johnson as a “role model” in family life, academics and basketball. When Todd was asked to write a letter of recommendation to the WIBCA for Johnson, he didn’t hesitate.

“He’s impacted my life, obviously on the court, but as I’ve gotten older I realize just the impact he’s had off the court for me,” said Todd. “It was a privilege and honor for me (to write the letter).”

Johnson, though flattered by the recognition, pointed to the culture at Jackson for the opportunity to enter the hall of fame.

“I give a lot of credit to many people besides myself that have been a part of the program,” said Johnson. “It’s really about the program, and how consistently successful the program’s been for a long time, more than it is about me.”

Johnson’s official induction ceremony isn’t until July and there’s plenty of time to make season 23 another success. Jackson is 5-4 and will begin conference play Friday night when they host Glacier Peak.